Cannabis sativa and Skin Health: Dissecting the Role of Phytocannabinoids

Abstract

The use of Cannabis sativa is currently recognized to ease certain types of chronic pain, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea, and improve anxiety. Nevertheless, few studies highlighted the therapeutic potential of C. sativa extracts and related phytocannabinoids for a variety of widespread skin disorders including acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus, and pain. This review summarized the current evidence on the effects of phytocannabinoids at the cutaneous level through the collection of in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies published on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science until October 2020. Phytocannabinoids have demonstrated potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-acne properties by various mechanisms involving either CB1/2-dependent and independent pathways. Not only classical immune cells, but also several skin-specific actors, such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, and sebocytes, may represent a target for phytocannabinoids. Cannabidiol, the most investigated compound, revealed photoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms at the cutaneous level, while the possible impact on cell differentiation, especially in the case of psoriasis, would require further investigation. Animal models and pilot clinical studies supported the application of cannabidiol in inflammatory-based skin diseases. Also, one of the most promising applications of non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids is the treatment of seborrheic disorders, especially acne. In conclusion, the incomplete knowledge of the role of the endocannabinoid system in skin disorders emerged as an important limit for pharmacological investigations. Moreover, the limited studies conducted on C. sativa extracts suggested a higher potency than single phytocannabinoids, thus stimulating new research on phytocannabinoid interaction.

Disease-Dependent Antiapoptotic Effects of Cannabidiol for Keratinocytes Observed upon UV Irradiation

“…Eligible patients were those diagnosed with plaque psoriasis for at least 6 months with lesions affecting at least 10% of total body surface area. The severity of psoriasis was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score (median 17; range [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. None of the patients or healthy subjects received topical, injectable or oral medications during the 4 weeks before the study.…”

“…Options for integrative biomedicine treatments combining UV therapy with antiinflammatory compounds seem attractive and aim to eliminate the negative and intensify the positive effects of UV irradiation. Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid that not only has anti-inflammatory properties but also is a powerful antioxidant [15][16][17], seems to be a potentially promising compound for such therapy. CBD has positive effects on psoriatic skin cells [17][18][19] and can protect healthy cells from the negative effects of UV irradiation.…”

“…Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid that not only has anti-inflammatory properties but also is a powerful antioxidant [15][16][17], seems to be a potentially promising compound for such therapy. CBD has positive effects on psoriatic skin cells [17][18][19] and can protect healthy cells from the negative effects of UV irradiation. Furthermore, each apoptotic pathway can be modulated by CBD and by UV irradiation [20,21].…”

In Vitro and Clinical Evaluation of Cannabigerol (CBG) Produced via Yeast Biosynthesis: A Cannabinoid with a Broad Range of Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Health-Boosting Properties

“…Since that time, over 100 cannabinoids have been identified in C. sativa and it is this group of bioactive molecules that appear to be responsible for conferring the plants many health benefits. More recently, evidence for the use of C. sativa extracts and its individual cannabinoids for skin health and the treatment of dermatological conditions has emerged [2]. The most well-known and studied of the cannabinoids is cannabidiol (CBD), which has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antiacne, and anti-aging properties when studied in vitro and topically in vivo [3].…”

Efeito do óleo de Canabidiol (CBD) sobre a acne

“…Além disso, o CBD suprimiu a proliferação de sebócitos na ausência de citotoxicidade e expressão prejudicada de TNF-α induzida por agonistas de TLR2 e TLR4. (Martinelli et al, 2021).…”